- Born
- Died
- Birth nameRicou Ren Browning
- Height6′ 0¾″ (1.85 m)
- Born in Fort Pierce, Florida, Ricou Browning grew up in nearby Jensen Beach and went on to study physical education at Florida State university. He got a career start diving and springboard diving in local water shows. By the time he was in his early 20s, he was producing underwater shows at Weeki Wachee Springs and topside water shows at Rainbow Springs and other locations. After playing the Gill Men in the underwater scenes of Universal's Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) and its sequels (Revenge of the Creature (1955) and The Creature Walks Among Us (1956)), he got into the swim of film and TV production as a result of an encounter with producer Ivan Tors; Browning ended up president of Tors' Florida studios (he was involved on Tors' Sea Hunt (1958), The Aquanauts (1960) and Flipper (1963) movies and TV series, etc.) He has also worked as a second unit director (above and below water), producer, writer, stunt man and stunt coordinator.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Tom Weaver <TomWeavr@aol.com>
- In March of 2017, Ricou Browning collaborated directly with Pat Regan of Hawaii to create a biography page for Ricou on the Vulcania Submarine Website. This biography photo-documents Ricou's lifetime achievements in the TV and Motion Picture industries, focusing on his three appearances as the Creature from the Black Lagoon; but also pays special attention to his roll as an uncredited Stunt Diver in Walt Disney's 1954 movie version of Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: a part of Ricou's career that was heretofore seldom publicized. This authorized biography was published with Mr. Browning's full support and permission, for the enjoyment of his fans the World over.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Pat Regan
- SpouseFran(? - March 5, 2020) (her death, 4 children)
- ChildrenReneeKimKelly
- With the death of Tom Hennesy on May 23, 2011, he is the last surviving actor to have played a classic Universal Monster. He played the Gill-man in Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), Revenge of the Creature (1955) and The Creature Walks Among Us (1956). Hennesy played the same character in the second film.
- He is the only actor to play the Gill-man in more than one film. He played him in the underwater scenes of Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), Revenge of the Creature (1955) and The Creature Walks Among Us (1956). The Creature was played on land by Ben Chapman in the first film, Tom Hennesy in the second and Don Megowan in the third.
- He directed the underwater sequences of both Thunderball (1965) and its remake Never Say Never Again (1983).
- Interviewed in Tom Weaver's book "They Fought in the Creature Features" (McFarland & Co., 1995).
- Father of Ricou Browning Jr.
- As far as I see it Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) was just another movie and it was just another job. I've done many things since then that I am much more proud of. But I've gotten more reaction out of the Creature thing than anything else. Well, I guess that's life!
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